Amarnath yatra concludes; final pujan today

KT NEWS SERVICE. Dated: 8/7/2017 5:49:33 PM

SRINAGAR/JAMMU, Aug 6: As the concluding pujan of the 40-day-long annual yatra will be held tomorrow, a fresh batch of less than a 100 pilgrims left base camp for the cave shrine in south Kashmir, where about 2.60 lakh pilgrims had darshan so far since June 29.Though it was announced that no pilgrim would be allowed from Bhagwati Nagar, Jammu today, a small batch of 30 yatris was on way to Baltal base camp to join the final puja at the cave shrine tomorrow.The Chhari Mubarak, holy silver Mace of Lord Shiva, left Sheshnag for Panjtarni where it would have night halt to proceed towards the cave shrine in the morning tomorrow, when the final pujan will be held on the concluding day of the yatra.Weather is pleasant and pilgrimage is going on smoothly from both shortest Baltal and traditional Pahalgam tracks, a yatra official said today.He said till 0930 hrs, 86 pilgrims had left Baltal base camp for the holy cave early this morning.The pilgrims, including women and sadhus, are scheduled to reach the cave shrine after covering the 14-km-long hilly terrain on foot, he said, adding that similarly, the pilgrims, who had night halt at the cave shrine after having darshan yesterday, are also on way back to base camp. Mahant Deependra Giri, custodian of Chhari Mubarak, said the final pujan will be held in the cave shrine on August 7.Earlier, “Chhari Mubarak”, the holy silver Mace of Lord Shiva, left Sheshnag for Panjtarni on way to the holy Amarnath cave shrine on the occasion of “Chaturdashi”.After pujan and other rituals, the devotees, led by Mahant Deependra Giri left Sheshnag this morning. The Chhari had reached Sheshnag yesterday from Chandanwari, the last motorable halting station on traditional track.The Chhari had left Srinagar on July 2 and reached Pahalgam on same evening after having pujan at several places on way.Mahant Giri said on ”Raksha Bandhan” tomorrow, the Chhari will proceed for holy cave for Punjan at 0700 hrs from Panchtarni. Traditional rituals shall be performed and prayers shall be offered the whole day at holy cave.However, before dusk, Chhari-Mubarak shall leave for night halt at Panchtarani, he said, adding that from there charri will leave for night halt at Pahalgam at 0700 hrs on August 8.On August 9, ‘Dvitiya Pujan’ & ‘Visarjan’ ceremonies shall be performed at 0915 hrs on the bank of river Lidder at Pahalgam. Thereafter, traditional ‘Kari-Pakouri’ Bhandara shall be organised for sadhus.With this last ritual, annual pilgrimage of Swami Amarnath Ji shall culminate. Chhari-Mubarak shall return to its abode Ameshwar temple Desknami Akahtar at Srinagar. In the meanwhile, as many as 509 pilgrims today paid obeisance at the cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir hills, an official said.Another batch of pilgrims, meanwhile, left Jammu for the Himalayan shrine of Budha Amarnath in Poonch border district.“Today, on the 39th day of the pilgrimage, 509 yatris paid obeisance at the cave shrine of Amarnath and cumulatively since the beginning of the pilgrimage, 2,59,551 yatris had darshan at the shrine,” an official spokesman said.The last batch of over 200 pilgrims left for Buddha Amarnath from Jammu.